Moderate Drought Develops Across Portions of Northern Michigan

Several months of well below normal precipitation have lead to the development of moderate drought conditions across portions of northern Michigan, most notably along and north of M-68 and up through much of the central and eastern U.P. These areas have experienced persistently dry conditions since October, with liquid precipitation running between 4 and 7 inches below normal. Not surprisingly, snowfall deficits in these areas are also large, running between 25 and 50 inches below normal. Below is a graphical view of current precipitation deficits, along with the latest Drought Monitor for Michigan. Thankfully, chances for precipitation will increase areawide heading into the coming weekend, with the potential for significant rains in some areas by Sunday night.